The Psychology of Spending

   I bought a new summer dress yesterday at GAP. Its been a while since I bought new clothes, or at least since I've parted with eighty dollars, so I had kind of forgotten some of the positive feelings that come along with that. As a stingy person, I always associate a sinking feeling in the stomach with dropping a lot of cash, especially on something that is not totally necessary.
   Now that I have this new dress I am really excited to wear it, and it makes me feel good to wear it. I would describe it as a princess feeling- and not only because its a flowy, pink floor length number. It gives you a confidence that I had entirely forgot about. Not that its not possible to feel strong in an old garment, but its like a new friend- you don't know how you'll interact together, what you might get up to, how they might influence your personality and that is exciting.
   I can see how easy it would be to get completely sucked in and become addicted to shopping. I have some friends who have serious issues budgeting their money and avoiding the allure of clothes, makeup and fancy coffees. I don't know what manly addicts would buy, if my boyfriend is any example, splurges include boring coffees, records and deodorant.
   But I guess that no matter what you buy, you still get that thrill on a smaller scale. Whether its clothes or deodz you're putting on a different version of yourself. Or in the case of foodstuffs, you're doing something as a treat (even if it becomes habit), you're escaping from your perception of yourself. When I put on my new dress I feel like I take on its qualities: I feel vibrant, fun and less ordinary than I do in old clothes.
   I think it'd be really interesting to learn more about the psychology of spending and maybe to write more about that, if its not super boring... and even if it is. Is it something wired in us that makes spending feel good (as much as it can make us feel bad) or is it society and the media and Ryan Seacrest? Stay tuned I guess...